Elected magnetic brake



2 Sheets- Sheet I.. G. F. GARD. 4 ELECTRO MAGNETIC BRAKE.

(No Model.) v

Patented Feb.'15, '1887 N. PETERS. Pnola-Lhagrupher, Wrlshnglu'n. D. C.

(Nov Model.) 2 Sheetsf-She'et -2. G. F. CARD.

ELEGTRQ MAGNETIC BRAKE.

A No. 357,576. Patented Peb. 15, 1887-.

N. PETERS, FholLmwgrlpher. Wuhnginn, ILC.

NITEE l,STATES ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE F. CARD, OF CovINGrON, KENTUCKY, JassIG-NOR rro HENRY K.

. LINnsEv, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 357,576, dated February 15, 188K?.

Application filed July 6, 1886. Serial No. 207,246, (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GARD, of Covington, Kenton county, Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electro-Magnetic Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed and is here shown adapted for use with a car-brake apparatus Whose brake-shoes are brought into effect-ive ro Contact with the car-Wheel by the tension of the customary brake-chain extending from a Windlass rotated by being brought into suitable connection with One ofthe car-axles.

My improvement further belongs to those I 5 forms of suchapparatus in which the brakes of any individual car may be brought into action by a personen such car, or by which the entire brake system of a train may be brought into action throughithe instrumentality of de- 2o vices whose operation is controlled by an electro-magnetic circuit, the current in which is regulated by the engineer or other person in charge of the'train.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a 2 5 partiallysectioned top view of my electromagnetic brake-setting mechanism in its normal or inactive condition. Fig. 2 is a partiallysectioned top view of the electro magnetic `clutch and wndlass in their active condition. 3o Fig. 3 is 'a transverse section through the electro-magnets. Fig. 4 is a section on lineetflin Fig. l. Fig. 5 represents by side elevation a portion of a car-body, and in section one of the axles thereof provided with my brake-setting apparatus. Fig. Gis a side elevation of the hand-lever of said apparatus.

A, B, and C may, respectively, represent a portion of the body, an axle, and one of the attached wheels of said axle of 4a railway-car.

D is a sprocketwheel fastened to the axle, and connected by an endless chain, E, with a similar Wheel, F, fast on a shaft, G, which is journaled axially in a cylindrical box or housing, H, rmly bolted to the under side of the car-body. The journal-bearings of said shaft G are formed in a block, h, (preferably of vulcanized ben) and a bracket, h both rigidly secured to the head or end plate, h, of the cylinder H, said bracket being so shaped as to 5o form a semicircular shell or shield, which partially incloses the sprocketwheel F and revto separate the friction-cones O O.

by means of an endless chain, K, is in driving connection with a sprocket-Wheel, L, fast on the windlass-shaft M, which is journaled in lugs hr of the cylinder-heads 7L h. To this shaft is attached the brakechain N, which connects with and operates any customary orv approved system of brakelevers and brakeshoes.

Within the cylinder I-I, and fastened to the ends ofthe shafts G andy I, respectively, are corresponding male and female friction cones or heads O O, which aslight longitudinal shift one Way or the other ofthe shaft G throws into or out of contact, so as to establish or break clutchconnection between the shafts G and I. If the train is running when such clutch connection is established, the motion of the axle B will be transmitted, through the train of sprocket-Wheels, chains, and shafting D E F G I J K, to the brake-chain windlass L,which will thus be caused to wind up the brakechain' N and to set the brakes.

For producing the clutching or unclutching longitudinal shift of the shaft G, I provide tWo independent mechanisms, viz: first, a, system of levers and connecting-rods which may be operated by a brakeman or yardman.

on or beside the car; second, a vdevice which is operated by the rotation of the shaft G, and whose action is controlled, through the agency of an electro-magnetic circuit, by the engineer or other officer of the train, who can thus set all the train-brakes simultaneously.

Pis a bent lever pivoted toa hanger, p, from the ear-body. A fork, p', on one arm, p, of this lever engages in agroove, g, of the clutch-shaft Gu A spring, Q, attached to the other arm, 19', of said lever, tends to hold the latter in the position shown in Fig: l, so as I The arm p is connected by rods R, interposed spiral spring S, bell-crankr, and rodR with a handlever, T, secured to the end of the car at such a height as to be conveniently handled by a person on top or alongside of the car, as may be desired. A catch, t, on this hand-lever is capable of engaging in anyof the notches a in a segmentrack, U. By lifting the lever into the first notch the cones O Oare broughtinto contact, and by lifting it into the succeeding notches the tension of the spring S may be increased, so as to hold said cones together with any desired pressure.

A serrated boss, hub, orprojcct-ion, o, of the conical head O is, by the action of springs V V', held in close contact with a correspondingly -serrated hub, XV, capable of revolving freely upon a sleeve, X, which can slide endwise on shaft G, but is held from` rotating thereon by a spline or feather, g. The hub XV bears against a flange or shoulder, x, of the sleeve X, and the latter bears against the face of the block 7l. It', now, the hub XV were by any means to be arrested'in its rotation, the continued rotation of the head O would cause its serrations to rise or rideupon those of the hub, and would compel an endwise shift of the head O and its attached shaft G, thereby bringing said head into contact with the female friction-cone O with greater or less pressure, according to the force of arrestation of the hub XV. Such retardation or arrest of said hub is accomplished through the instrumentality of one or more elcct1'o1nag11ets,Y, which are fastened (preferably in a circle concentric with the shaft G) to the end plate, 71, of the cylinder H.

Z is an iron ring, which, when the magnets Y are energized, discharges the functions of an armature thereto. Pins or studs e on this ring occupy orifices w in a flange, wf, of the hub XV, and compel co-rotation of said ring and hub. Light springs w upon thc hub XV serve to hold the armature-ring Z with a uniform slight pressure upon and in constant juxtaposition with the magnet-poles without producing such pressure thereupon as to canse sensible retardation of rotation of said armature or of the coupled hub XV when no current is passing through the magnet coils. (This arrangement permits considerable wear of the parts to take place without impairing the working efficiency.) The instant, however, that the magnets become energized by the passage of such a current the armature Z is strongly attracted to the magnet-cores, and the resultant friction operates to retard the armature Z and the hub XV to an extent proportional to the strength of the applied current. This detention of thehubWoperates, as previously explained, to bring the head O against the female cone-head O', which latter is thereby rotated, so as, through the sprocket wheels J 4Vand L and chain II, to drive the windlass M, which winds up the brake-chain N until the friction between the cones O O is no longer sufficient to overcome the tension on the chain N due to the brake-friction, after which the cone O merely slips on the cone O', the brake-friction remaining constant. The cone-friction, and hence the brake action, is

proportional to the strength of the applied current.

The object of the sleeve X,with the flange rv, is to prevent contact of hub XV with the stationary bearing or abutment h without opposing the rotary and endwise motion of said hub with respect to the shaft G. But for the interposition of the sleeve-fiange :r the severe backpressure of the engaged cones would cause the hub XV to be retarded by its friction against the abutment h, and would thereby cause the serrations of the said hub and the head O to bind orjam on one another to an extent that would interfere with the regulation of brake action and with the self-releasal of the clutch when the current is stopped. XVith the hub XV bearing against the rotating sleeve-flange x, there is no tendency to retardation of said hub, except that arising from the friction of the armature-ring Z against the magnets Y, and this friction is not affected by the backpressure from the clutch, for said ring Z is free to move endwise with respect to the hub, and the only pressure upon the ring besides that due to the magnets Y is the constant pressure produced by the spring 1r'.

In Fig. 3 I may represent any suitable source of electricity, such as a storage-battery or a dynamo-electric machine. 2 may represent a metallic circuit extending throughout the length of the train and including said source of electricity, and also including a rheostat, 3, whereby the person in charge may regulate the resistance of, and hence the current in, the said circuit, and thereby vary, as desired, the magnetic strength of the groups of magnets Y which are included in said circuit. 4 represents a cut-out switch to enable exclusion of any individual group of electromagnets Y from the circuit 2. rlhe portion of the friction-cone O which comes in contact with the female cone O is preferably of vulcanized fiber or some other tough and somewhat yielding material, so as to give a smoother friction and a tighter grip. rlhe magnets Y being stationary, loss of current due to sliding contacts is avoided. The cylindrical hanger and housing H being rigid and dust-tight, the clutch members are kept in perfect alignment and, together with the magnetic apparatus, free from dirt and moisture. The portion of the windlass-shaft M to which the brake-chain N is attached is preferably enlarged and shaped so as to form afusee, m, with right and left hand spiral grooves m m, one or otherpf which, according to the direction of winding, receives and guides the chain. In winding up the chain this enlarged fusee quickly takes up the slack of said chain and its attached levers, and then, as the chain winds onto the shaft itself, it is drawn more slowly, but with greater force, while the brake-shoes are being bron ght into action.

I claim as new and of my invention- 1. In an electro-magnetic brake-setting apparatus, the combination of axially-slidable driving-shaft G, transmitting-shaft I, in ali gn ICO IIO

ment with shaft G, corresponding frictionclutch cones O O', fast onfshafts G and I, respectively, serrated boss or hub o, rigidly attached to shaft G, correspondingly-serrated hub W, capable of rotating and axially sliding with respect to` shaft G, springs n c', tending to hold said serrated hubs o and W in contact, armature-ring Z, capable of axially sliding, but prevented from rotating With respect to hub W, one or more stationary electro-magnets, Y, having their. vpoles in contact with ring Z, and springs w, for maintaining such contact, substantially as and for t-he purpose set forth.

2. In an electro-magnetic brake-setting apparatus, the combination of axially-sl'idable driving-shaft G, transmittingshaft I, in alignment with shaft G, friction-clutch cone O', fast on shaft I, corresponding friction-clutch cone, O, fast on shaft G and having serrated boss or hub o, stationary abutment It, sleeve X, capable of axially sliding on shaft G, but compelled to rotate therewith, and having flange or shoulder w and bearing against abutment h, hub W, journaled on sleeve X and bearing against ange m, and having serrations to correspond With boss o, and a flange, w', with orifices w, springs V V', for holding the hubs W and o into contact, armature-ring Z, having pins z, occupying the hub-flange orifices w, one or more electro-magnets, Y, having their poles in Contact with ring Z, and springs w, for

maintaining such contact, substantially as and' for the purposesexplained.

3. In an electro-magnetic brakesetting apparatus, the combination, With Windlass-shaft M, transmitting-shaft I, driving-shaft G, a clutch for coupling said shafts G and I, and

1electro-magnetic mechanism, substantially as described, for operating said clutch, of the rigid cylindrical box, housing, or hanger H, inclosing said clutch with its operating devices, and havingjournal-blocks h, bracketlt, bridge hiv, and lugs hv, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a brake-setting apparatus, a brakechain Windlass having at its portion to which the brakechain is fastened a spirally-grooved enlargement constituting a right and left hand fusee, for the purpose set forth.

5. Inacombined electro-magnetic andhand brake-setting apparatus, the combination, With (a) the transmittingshaft I, axiallylslidable driving-shaft G, in alignment with shaft I and having groove g, and friction-clutch cones O O, fast, respectively, on said shafts G and I, of (b) correspondingly serrated and engaged hubs o XV, respectively fast and loose on the shaft G, springs V V', whereby said hubs are drawn together for separation of the frictioncones, an abutment or end bearing for the loose hub W, an armature-ring, Z, compelled to co-rotate with hub W, and one or more electro-magnets, Y, having pole contact with said armature, and (c) a lever, I), engagingin groove g, a spring, Q, retracting said lever, so as to hold aloof the cones O O', an adjustable handlever, T, and a train of rods and levers connecting said levers P and T, and having a resilient portion, S, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of Which invention I hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE F. CARD.

Attest:

ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, E. M. WILLIAMS. 

